The Wandering Disciple

The noble work of law enforcement goes way back to the days of Jesus. In fact, he bible says "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God". While vitally important to the safety and security, the profession is also extremely dangerous. Police officers often risk their life and safety to protect ours. To honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, the American Police Hall of Fame and Museum has a memorial that honors brave heroes who dies in the line of duty. The 2,000 square foot memorial features the name of every American law enforcement officer killed since the inception of the memorial in 1960. Over 10,300 officers are memorialized in the memorial.  The American Police Hall of Fame and Museum is located in Titusville, Florida. It features a collection that takes you inside the life of a law enforcement officer. From police vehicles and technology to artifacts from famous crimes and events, the museum's 11,000 piece collectio...

A construction helmet adorned by the Space Shuttle Columbia pays tribute to the men and women who helped build the space shuttle program for NASA. The workhorse of NASA, the space shuttle provided a way to transport crew and cargo into space. The vision began during the Apollo program and began taking shape in 1968. A prototype "Enterprise" was completed by Rockwell International in 1974. By 1981, the program was ready for the first manned launch with "Columbia". With a total of five space shuttles, the program conducted 135 missions until its final flight in July 2011 with "Atlantis".   This display was part of the history of the space shuttle exhibit found at the US Astronaut Hall of Fame. Located just across the river from the Kennedy Space Center, the museum told the story of the space program and its heroes both in the spacecraft and on the ground. This location is now closed however many of the exhibits have been relocated to Heroes & Lege...

Artemis 1 sits on Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center. The first flight of the Artemis program was expected to launch Saturday afternoon but for the second attempt in a row, the launch was scrubbed due to technical issues with the rocket.  The Artemis program marks NASA's attempt to return to the moon and beyond. The SLS system is NASA's largest and most powerful rocket system and is anticipated to take astronauts deeper into space and potentially manned missions to Mars.  NOTE: I apologize for the heat haze in the photo,. Due to being an active launch zone, public access to the complex was limited and closest public viewing was over 10 miles away from the launch site and with temps over 95 degrees with hazy sunshine, the heat haze over the river was intense. However I still decided to take and post the photo due to historical significance.  Taken: September 3, 2022 (Titusville, FL)

The National Law Enforcement Memorial at the American Police Hall of Fame and Museum is a place to pay your respects to the brave heroes that lost their lives in defense of that thin blue line.  Founded in 1960, the American Police Hall of Fame and Museum was the nation's first museum and memorial dedicated to fallen officers.  (Photo: January 24, 2010)

Honoring those who boldly go where no man goes.  That is the premise behind the US Astronauts Hall of Fame outside the Kennedy Space Center. Here you can pay tribute to the pioneer astronauts instrumental to the nation's space program and see some of the iconic artifacts that have supported the mission throughout the years.  (Photo: January 24, 2010)

A mock-up of a command module for an Apollo rocket sits in the Rocket Garden at the visitor's complex at Kennedy Space Center.  This small capsule had a big job. It was the nerve center of the Apollo rocket, taking astronauts to the moon.  This was also the crews return vehicle as they re-entered Earth and splashed down in the ocean at the conclusion of the missions.  (Photo: January 23, 2010)

Thousands of messages are forever etched in memorium on Officer Henry Nava Jr's Fort Worth Police Department patrol car.  Officer Nava was killed in the line of duty on December 1, 2005 after being shot while attempting to apprehend a suspect.  The community came together and signed his patrol car with condolences for his family.  Today the car sits on display at the American Police Hall of Fame and Museum in Titusville, Florida.  (Photo: January 24, 2010)

Not just names on the wall, these are pioneers of the United States space program.  The inaugural class was inducted in 2001 and consisted of the members of the Mercury Seven crew.  Since then, each year new members are added to the US Astronaut Hall of Fame located on the property of the Kennedy Space Center.  (Photo: January 24, 2010)

Dominating the skyline of Visitor's Complex, the Space Shuttle Explorer gives visitors to Kennedy Space Center and up close look at the work horse of the space program.  Explorer was a full-scale mock-up of the space shuttle and was on display at Kennedy Space Center from 1993-2012 when it was replaced with Space Shuttle Atlantis once it was retired.  Explorer was transferred to the Johnson Space Center where it was renamed Independence and placed on-top of the modified Boeing 747 shuttle transporter.  Today it is the centerpiece of the Independence Plaza.  (Photo: January 23, 2010) 

A patrol car from the Brevard County Sheriff’s on display at the American Police Museum and Hall of Fame. The museum is a tribute to the brave men and women who make up our nation’s police force. (Photo: January 24, 2010)

A two-man capsule from Project Gemini sits on display at the Astronaut Hall of Fame outside Kennedy Space Center. Launched atop the Titan II rocket, Project Gemini provided NASA with ten space missions between 1961-1966. (Photo: January 24, 2010)

A replica astronaut stands guard over the visitor’s complex at Kennedy Space Center. The visitor’s complex is the gateway to our nation’s space program, allowing visitors to get up close to the history of space flight from the early Apollo missions through the space shuttle program. (Photo: January 23, 2010)

A memorial to fallen Polk County Sheriff’s deputy Matt Williams and his K-9 partner Diogi at the American Police Hall of Fame and Museum. The deputies were killed in the line of duty in September 2006. The memorial is one of many memorials and artifacts on display at the museum dedicated to law enforcement in America. Click on the photo to view more photos from the American Police Hall of Fame and Museum . (Photo: January 24, 2010)

A replica of the space shuttle sits outside the Astronaut Hall of Fame near Kennedy Space Center.  Inside is a collection of memorabilia showcasing the rich history of the US space program from the rocket to the shuttle. Click on the photo to view more photos from the Astronaut Hall of Fame .  (Photo: January 24, 2010)

The Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center dominates the skyline at the Cape Canaveral complex. At 526 feet tall, the Vehicle Assembly Building is the largest single story building in the world. Built in 1966, the building served as the final assembly point for the Saturn V rocket and the space shuttle. Here the space vehicle would be assembled vertically before departing on the journey to the launch complex aboard the crawler transporter. Click on the photo to view more photos from Kennedy Space Center . (Photo: January 23, 2010)

The costume from the Hollywood film "Robocop" is on display at the American Police Hall of Fame and Museum on Titusville, Florida. The museum is home to displays that highlight the history of law enforcement in America. (Photo: January 24, 2010)

The Sigma 7 Mercury capsule sits on display at the Astronaut Hall of Fame outside Kennedy Space Center. The Sigma 7 carried astronaut Wally Schirra as he orbited the Earth six times in 1962. (Photo: January 24, 2010)

A van used to transport astronauts to the launch pad during the Apollo era sits on display at the Apollo/Saturn V Rocket Center at the Kennedy Space Center. The van transported the astronauts from the astronaut quarters to the launch complex prior to the mission. (Photo: January 23, 2010)

The science of crime scene investigation is highlighted in the Crime Lab exhibit at the American Police Hall of Fame and Museum. The gallery reveals the forensic science that is used to process a crime scene. (Photo: January 24, 2010)

The United States Astronaut Hall of Fame pays tribune to the brave men and women of the United States Space program. Opened in 1990, the Hall of Fame features galleries devoted to the inductees. The Hall of Fame inducts a new class of space heroes each year in May. There are over 80 inductees honored in the Hall of Heroes within the museum. (Photo: January 24, 2010)